Today's outcome,
Kiyokawa Izumi, complete defeat.
Having been teased twice in a row by the same person, he couldn't find it in himself to feel annoyed; instead, he was somewhat amused.
"Is there anything else?"
Kanzaki Aoi looked at him strangely, her look seemingly saying: if there's nothing else, could you please stop bothering me?
"Alright then."
Kiyokawa Izumi shrugged and said casually.
"Oh, one more thing. When you participated in the Selection, did you encounter a special demon? The kind with many arms."
"Arms? What's that?"
Kanzaki Aoi shook her head subconsciously, looking at him in confusion.
"Then it's nothing. Go ahead with your work."
Kiyokawa Izumi asked this just to satisfy his own curiosity.
Although Kanzaki Aoi, who remained at the Butterfly Mansion, was not Kochou Shinobu's Successor, her time participating in the Final Selection was before Kiyokawa Izumi's.
A year earlier than him.
As for why this official member stayed here?
There wasn't actually any complex reason.
Fearing death and not daring to step onto the battlefield is human nature.
Not all Team Members are like the Hashira.
Knowing the reason, Kiyokawa Izumi wouldn't look down on her for it.
He could understand.
There are always things that simply cannot be done no matter what.
After leaving the pharmacy, Kiyokawa Izumi passed through the courtyard and encountered Kochou Shinobu bathing in the sunlight under the wisteria flower trellis.
She seemed to be in a very good mood.
"Do those three hundred rice balls still need to be made?"
Kiyokawa Izumi's mouth twitched slightly as he asked casually.
"Yes, they do!"
Hearing this, Kiyokawa Izumi nodded to show he understood and was just about to leave when he couldn't help but ask again.
"Do I really have to make three hundred rice balls?"
The corners of Kochou Shinobu's mouth curled up slightly as she said seriously to Kiyokawa Izumi, "Really!"
"Is that so?"
Kiyokawa Izumi was half-skeptical, almost turning back every step to ask once more: do I really have to make that many?
...In fact, he really did have to make that many.
Before Kiyokawa Izumi arrived, The Three Little Ones had already started getting busy.
As for what so many rice balls were for, he didn't ask, simply imitating The Three Little Ones and starting to shape the rice balls.
The air was filled with a rich aroma of rice and the faint, briny scent of seaweed.
With his left hand dipped in salt water, his right hand grabbed a handful of steaming rice grains, and bringing his hands together, he began to shape them.
For Kiyokawa Izumi, this work was undoubtedly very tedious.
After making each rice ball, he had to wash his hands and then repeat the previous actions.
Although he could shape one in just a few breaths, the total number was as many as three hundred, which was a great test of Kiyokawa Izumi's patience.
Perhaps because he had experienced the impetuous society of his previous life, it was difficult for him to completely quiet his heart.
No wonder Water Breathing didn't suit him very well.
As time passed, Kochou Shinobu, who walked without a sound, suddenly appeared behind him, standing slightly on tiptoe as her fair right hand gently patted his left shoulder.
"Thank you for your hard work."
"!!"
Kiyokawa Izumi was so startled he almost smashed the rice ball in his hand onto that exquisite face.
When you are fully concentrated and working seriously, and someone suddenly appears behind you, it would be strange not to be startled.
The key was that he hadn't heard a single footstep.
"Wait, why is there a grain of rice stuck to the corner of your mouth?"
Kochou Shinobu's smile was soft as she gestured toward the corner of Kiyokawa Izumi's mouth.
The distance between the two was less than two fists.
Amidst the rich aroma of rice, there seemed to be a faint fragrance coming from the girl.
Kiyokawa Izumi, who had been sneaking rice balls, was caught red-handed.
"Is there?"
"Isn't there?"
"Maybe you saw wrong."
Kiyokawa Izumi subconsciously acted to destroy the evidence, then spoke with righteous confidence.
Not bothering to argue with him, Kochou Shinobu, like an overseer, examined the rice balls Kiyokawa Izumi had made by hand.
Veins seemed to bulge on her smooth forehead.
Looking at the crooked, misshapen rice balls in front of her, it was as if a question mark appeared over her head.
"?"
You call this a rice ball?
"Although they aren't very good-looking, they taste pretty good. Do you want to try one?"
Kiyokawa Izumi said nonchalantly.
A pragmatist wouldn't care about appearance.
If it's edible and tastes good, isn't that enough?
Kiyokawa Izumi wasn't an irresponsible person; he had personally tasted the rice balls he made.
There was absolutely no problem with the taste!
If you don't believe me, why not try one and see?
Whether it was an illusion or not, he could vaguely see the word "disgust" on Kochou Shinobu's face.
"Tsk."
"?"
Kiyokawa Izumi thought he heard something, but when he turned to look, Kochou Shinobu's smile hadn't changed.
An illusion?
It didn't seem like it.
"Don't believe me? It's really fine, I've already eaten two. Do you want pickled plum filling or salmon filling?"
Holding the rice ball, he was just a step away from feeding it into Kochou Shinobu's mouth.
This move is called placing oneself in the fray.
What bad intentions could he possibly have?
Kochou Shinobu subconsciously stepped back, her mouth twitching slightly, her refusal very clear.
As she took a step back, Kiyokawa Izumi began to push his luck.
The hand holding the rice ball suddenly reached out.
"Is it inconvenient? It's fine, I just washed my hands, they're very clean. I'll feed you!"
Before it could even reach her lips, his wrist was caught by slightly cool fingers.
At this moment, the smiles on both their faces remained.
Today's outcome, it seemed Kiyokawa Izumi hadn't lost, but he hadn't won either.
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Only 4 energy stones remain for the bonus chapter, and they're available now.